Creep check



'March 3, 1942. E. A. SKOWRN ETAL 2,274,871

CREEP CHECK Filed Oct. 16, 1940 Hmm I! III 'll li e MW INVENTORS BY OW M: m flTTORNEKS.

Patented Mar. 3, 1942 .ffjii'" CREEP CHECK I Edwin A. Skowron, Pittsburgh, and Russell R.

Ritchey, Verona, Pa., assignors to Woodings- Verona Tool Works, Verona, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 16, 1940, Serial No. 361,336

3 Claims.

This invention relates to creep checks for railroad rails, and more particularly to those for single track systems where the trains travel in both directions over the same rails.

The ordinary creep check is clamped to a rail base in engagement with that side of the tie from which the rail tends to move across the tie as a train travels over the rail. In two-track systems where all of the trains on one track travel in the same direction, the creep checks are all placed on the same side of the ties because the rails try to creep in only one direction. When only one track is used and trains must travel in both directions over it, it has been necessary to place the creep checks known heretofore on both sides of the ties in order to restrain the rails from creeping in either direction, but this doubles the number of creep checks required and consequently the expense.

It is among the objects of this invention to pro-' vide a creep check for single track systems that restrains a rail from creeping in either direction, which is easily applied to existing track installations and which is cheaper than the total cost of two effective creep checks of the types now in use.

In accordance with this invention a clamp, which may be a creep check of a type now in use, is connected to a rail base at either side of the nearest tie. Connected to the rail by this clamp in substantially fixed position is an anchoring member which is formed for substantially fixed engagement with the adjoining tie plate, by which is meant that there can be but little, if any, movement between the anchoring member and the rail and tie plate. Preferably, the tie plate end of this anchoring member extends down into one of the spike holes of the tie plate. Consequently, the rail is anchored to the tie plate through the medium of the clamp and anchoring member, and thereby is restrained from creeping across it in either direction.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a fragmentary portion of a rail and tie showing our creep check in operative position; Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through the rail taken on the line IIII of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section through the rail base and clamp taken on the line III-III of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side view of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section through the anchoring member and tie plate taken on the line V-V of Fig. 4; and. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the anchoring member that constitutes one of the elements of our creep check.

Referring-to the drawing, a railroad rail l is mounted on a conventional tie plate 2 between integral shoulders 3 thereon. Extending vertically through each of these shoulders and the underlying portion of the tie plate is a pair of spike holes 4 through which spikes 5 may be driven for fastening the tie plate to the supporting tie B. In actual practice, not more than two or three spikes are generally used.

It is a feature of this invention that a single creep check restrains the rail from creeping longitudinally in either direction across the tie plate and tie. Accordingly, a spring clamp 8 is connected to the rail base at a point preferably spaced from the adjacent tie. This clamp may take various forms, but preferably is in the form of one of the well-known one-piece rail anchors that now are in extensive use throughout the country. Thus, the clamp shown in the drawing is formed from a resilient metal bar bent to form bearing areas that engage the top and bottom of each rail flange so that the clamp will tightly grip the rail. More specifically, the clamp is provided at one end with a reverse bend or loop 9 that is slipped over the rail base flange and then struck at its outer end by a sledge. This drives the loop farther up on the rail flange until the upwardly extending opposite end of the clamp clears the adjoining edge of the rail base and springs up beside it. The lower end of this upright end of the clamp is provided with a notch II], as shown in Fig. 2, that snaps over the rail base and locks the clamp in place.

Extending through the small space that always exists between the looped end of the clamp and the adjacent edge of the rail base is an anchoring member l2 in the form of a rigid metal bar. This member is of such size that it is pressed into tight frictional engagement with the edge of the rail base by the clamp when the latter is driven into its rail-gripping position. The opposite end of the anchoring member is formed for substantially fixed engagement with the adjacent .tie plate. Preferably, as shown in Fig. 4, the anchoring member extends longitudinally along the rail base from the clamp and then upwardly a short distance to clear the top of tie plate shoulder 3. It then extends along the top of this shoulder until it is above the first tie plate hole 4, at which point the end portion of the anchoring member projects down into the tie plate hole from which a spike has been omitted or removed. It will thus be apparent that the anchoring memher, which is securely clamped to the tie plate by clamp 8 and also is anchored in the tie plate, anchors the rail to the tie plate so that the rail can not creep appreciably in either direction across the tie plate.

To give the anchoring member the desired strength and rigidity, as well as to permit it to fit fairly snugly in the tie plate hole, the major portion of the anchoring member has a cross sectional area nearly as great as the tie plate hole. However, as an anchoring member of this size would normally be too large to fit in the space-between clamp loop 9 and the rail base, the outer side of the anchoring member adjacent the clamp is provided with a recess l3 which thereby reduces the thickness of the member the necessary amount. In fact, in order to permit the anchoring member to be placed on either side of the tie or either side of the rail, both sides of the member are provided with recesses so that regardless of which side is away from the rail it will be recessed. The recesses preferably are longer than the width of the clamp to facilitate mounting the clamp on the rail without too much attention to its exact position relative to the anchoring member. If there is any tendency for the clamp to slide along the anchoring member, this.

movement will be arrested when the clamp reaches the end of the recess which forms a. limiting shoulder. However, the clamp ordinarily will cant and grip the anchoring membermore tightly before it will slide on it.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explained the principle and mode of operation of our invention and have il'- lustrated and described what we now consider to represent its best embodiments. However, we desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

We claim:

1. In a creep check for a rail mounted on a.

tie plate, a bar-like anchoring member formed for substantially fixed engagement with a tie plate and having a longitudinally projecting portion adapted to extend along the adjoining rail, said member being substantially symmetrical on both sides of its central longitudinal vertical plane and opposite sides of said portion being provided with recesses the outer one. of which is adapted to receive a clamping member for attachment to the rail.

2. In a creep check for a rail mounted on a tie plate, a bar-like anchoring member having a vertical end portion for insertion in a tie plate opening and having a longitudinally projecting portion adapted to extend along the adjoining rail, said member being substantially symmetrical on both sides of its central longitudinal verti- -cal.plane and opposite sides of said longitudinally projecting portion being provided with recesses the outer one of which is adapted to receive a clamping member for attachment to the rail.

3. A creep check. for a rail mounted on. a tie,

plate having a rail-engaging shoulder provided with a vertical opening, said creep check com-- prising a bar-like anchoring member having a vertical end portion for insertion in said opening;

and also having a portion adapted to extend ion.-

gitudinally along the top of said shoulder and.

then downwardly and longitudinally along the edge of the adjoining rail base flange, said meme her being substantially symmetrical on bothzsides.

of its central longitudinal vertical plane and op' posite sides of said longitudinal portion being provided with recesses, and a clamp adapted to" be attached to the base ofthe rail and to engage said anchoring member in the outer one of said; recesses and to clamp said longitudinal portion against said rail, base edge whereby the railis restrained from moving longitudinally in either direction.

EDWIN A. SKOWRON. RUSSELLR. RITCI-IEY. 

